Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN' reaches LeBron James on personal level

After his triple-double performance against the Pacers, LeBron James talked about Kendrick Lamar's new album.

After his triple-double and comeback performance against the Pacers, LeBron James took some time to talk about Kendrick Lamar's new album "DAMN."

“That’s a great question, man. I haven’t stopped listening to it since he sent it to me before it came out. The guy is an unbelievable talent. His wordplay in his lyrics is unbelievable, and it hit home for me at times because I was a kid who grew up in the inner city.

“His story of the notion of you either play basketball or sell drugs, that’s it, there’s no out. You become a statistic. As an African American kid growing up in the inner city, they don’t believe you can get out and become something. That’s why I’m able to relate to a lot of his lyrics and relate to a lot of his stories. He’s an unbelievable artist and an unbelievable person. I’m glad he’s able to put those words onto a track for all of us to be able to hear. For me, I definitely appreciate it.”

James and Lamar have had a connection over the past few years. Before the new album was released last Friday, the MVP candidate received an advanced copy and debuted snippets of songs on his Instagram account.

There was also the time last year where James tweeted he wanted Lamar to release his untitled tracks he performed on various platforms. That led to the release of Lamar's "untitled unmastered."